X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fbb9d,47b54f7dfeef6923 X-Google-Attributes: gidfbb9d,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-03-09 09:22:54 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!lios!news.gweep.ca!not-for-mail From: Brian Edmonds Newsgroups: rec.arts.ascii Subject: Re: [DIS] Hello Sailors! Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 17:22:54 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Gweep Systems, Vancouver BC, Canada Lines: 20 Sender: robomod@lios.aq2.gweep.ca Approved: rec-arts-ascii-moderator@gweep.ca Message-ID: <37el5gtpxv.fsf@lios.aq2.gweep.ca> References: <9a6c9942.0303070934.72c2a3d8@posting.google.com> <2hjm6vgor13p32vba7fq0s1k9p7lfjnt75@4ax.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: localhost Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: lios.aq2.gweep.ca 1047230574 11751 127.0.0.1 (9 Mar 2003 17:22:54 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@lios.aq2.gweep.ca NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 17:22:54 +0000 (UTC) X-Original-Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2003 09:22:52 -0800 User-Agent: Gnus/5.090015 (Oort Gnus v0.15) XEmacs/21.1 (Channel Islands) Xref: archiver1.google.com rec.arts.ascii:288 Philip Newton writes: >> Is there anybody stupid enough to try to copyright ASCII art? > It's not stupid. It *is* art, and it *does* take time and talent. It's > worth being copyrighted. Actually, under the Berne Convention, which most western nations have signed, you don't have to do anything at all, it's automatically copyrighted, whether it says so or not, and remains so unless explicitly released by the creator to the public domain. Also, your comment that so long as you don't make any money off it is not entirely correct. Monetary damages are a significant factor in awarding claims in copyright cases, but you are still required to have the permission of the copyright holder even if you are not using it for commercial purposes and they can take legal action against you if you do not. In practice, I agree that it is unlikely any ASCII artist would do such a thing unless significant money were involved. Brian.